Day April 8, 2008

We met for about an hour this morning with the Governor to talk about the economy, politics, and the blogosphere. Here’s what went down. Our Chief Executive was impressively informed, focused, and creatively proactive on a huge range of issues. We may not agree with Patrick on every issue, but he is a quantum improvement over the Three Nonentities who preceded him Cellucci, Swift and Willard. This is an Excellency of which we can be proud. The economy. Patrick will make a major economic policy address tomorrow at 10.00 AM at MIT. We’ll try to post video coverage. In brief: an intelligent business-minded restructuring of state debt that will free around $3.8 billion over the next four to five years for infrastructure renewal across the state. A platform for growth, and good jobs when we need them most. The Life Sciences & Clean Energy plans, each of which will act as a substantial motor for growth in areas that play to our strengths as a state — assuming the legislature can look to the good of all, instead of individual districts. A total of 16 “Growth Districts:” specific areas tagged for extra incentives to spur development. A permitting process down […]

I’m writing to thank the Democrats of the Eighth Congressional District for electing me, along with the entire Coalition for Change to represent them in Denver, in support of Senator Barack Obama. Joining me at the DNC will be Giovanna Negretti, Representative Gloria Fox, Sean Riley, and Dorothea Jones. We thank you for your support.

Bush doesn’t have a dime for American small business yet Ambassador Crocker “Shiite” and his friendly companion “Robin” aka General Peter Pinafore announced in a Senate hearing today that they …WE Americans from our TAX Money are giving small business loans to Iraqi businessmen to start up new businesses in Iraq. Companies here in America are struggling to survive in this near DEPRESSION and the Forest Gump in the whitehouse is “lending” money to Iraqi businessmen … like we will ever get it back. They are all certifiably nuts. Get out the nets as bushie starts singing ‘The’re coming to take me away … away… to the funny farm.. where…”

As is probably well known now to many BMGers, there has been much consternation expressed about the current primary processs. In particular, many believe that one of the Democratic candidates should drop out ‘for the sake of the party’. Others indicate that it is refreshing that a candidate hasn’t been established at this late juncture because so many ‘late’ state primary voters now can contribute to the process in a meaningful way that has not been the case in the past.

It got me to thinking about the nature of the schedule and its relationship to ‘disenfranchisement’. In a recent post by jconway I responded to a comment with some ideas on this matter. It then occurred to me that I’d really like to hear from others about their ideas, as well as get some feedback on mine. The original post already has over 100 comments so I came to realize that I wasn’t likely to get a lot of feedback there, so I basically decided to repost my comment as a diary post here.

If you care to delve further, details are after the fold:

UPDATE: Some great ideas put forth in comments. Is there a consensus that ‘small states first’ in order to ‘keep price of entry low’ a reasonable ‘necessary evil’ to keep? Also, does anybody know what might be involved to actually enact change? Thanks to the BMG community for your opinions.

From the breaking news department. The Boston Herald is reporting this morning that newly elected State Senator James Marzilli (D-Arlington) has been accused of sexual assault. An Arlington woman has accused a state senator of sexual assault following an early-morning encounter in her home yesterday, the Herald has learned. According to the town police log, cops were called to an undisclosed home at 1:15 a.m. to investigate a report of indecent assault and battery. According to two law enforcement sources, the woman alleged that state Sen. James Marzilli (D-Arlington) made unwanted advances and groped her during an incident in her house. Marzilli, 49, was not arrested and has not been charged. One wonders if charges are forthcoming?

George Bush, in his Herculean effort to stem this “not resession yet” all by himself, is planning to give me $600.00. I was planning to do the same thing when he fronted me $300.00 back a few years ago then added it to my taxes at the end of the year. I was going pay down my credit card. But this year, I pledge to send $150.00 to Barack Obama and $150.00 to Ed O’Reilly for Senate in Massachusetts and $50.00 to the DNC so Howard Dean can tell the DLC and their backers to go to hell. The rest will go to pay down my credit card.

On WEEI Sports Radio this morning, Tom Werner, he of the Red Sox holy trinity of Henry, Werner and Lucchino, mentioned that because it is a cold and blustery day, and because relief pitcher Mike Timlin made a request, the Red Sox bullpen will be heated during today’s game. Werner was asked specifically if the Detroit Tigers would have the same and, without a hint of sarcasm, Werner said “no”. Though I don’t have the rule book in front of me, official rules of all sports usually forbid one team to gain advantage of another by employing different accommodations for visiting team’s playing and coaching members during the playing of the game. By heating the home bullpen and not the visitor’s, the Red Sox have the advantage of relief pitchers with warm arms making them less stiff. They can warm up faster. Important when you have to get out of a late inning jam. There are a number of advantages. But then of course this is the same Red Sox ownership that announced when they bought the team that were going to make serious efforts to change the perceptions and realities of the Red Sox being a racists organization. When […]